Layered Greek Pastitsio with Cinnamon Beef and Custard Béchamel

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The Greek taverna classic built the way it should be: a deeply reduced cinnamon-and-clove beef sauce you can make up to three days ahead, a bed of tube pasta bound with cheese and egg white so it slices cleanly, and a béchamel enriched with yolks until it's thick enough to hold a ribbon but still pourable. Bake it, then let it rest — that's what turns three layers into neat, golden squares.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lb ground beef (85% lean)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water or beef broth
• 1 stick cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 lb bucatini, ziti, or penne
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan
• 2 large egg whites (yolks reserved for béchamel)
• kosher salt for pasta water

• 7 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 large egg yolks (2 reserved plus 1 more)
• 1 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan

Instructions

1. Make the meat sauce (up to 3 days ahead): Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 7–8 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
2. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. Break it up and cook 8–10 minutes, letting it brown rather than steam, until no pink remains and the liquid has cooked off.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes until it darkens and smells toasty. Pour in the red wine, scrape the bottom of the pot, and simmer 3 minutes until nearly evaporated.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, allspice, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a bare simmer, partially cover, and cook 45–55 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and a spoon dragged through the pan leaves a clear trail with no watery pool. Fish out the cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt. Cool and refrigerate if making ahead; bring to room temperature before assembling.
5. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta 2 minutes short of al dente — it will finish in the oven. Drain but do not rinse.
6. Return the pasta to the pot off the heat and toss with the 2 tablespoons butter until coated. Let it cool for 3–4 minutes (so the eggs don't scramble), then fold in 3/4 cup of the cheese and the 2 egg whites until the strands are glossy and lightly bound.
7. Spread the pasta in the baking dish in an even layer and press it down gently with the back of a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top, then spread the meat sauce evenly across the surface all the way to the corners.
8. Make the béchamel: Melt the 7 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until it looks like wet sand and smells nutty but has not browned.
9. Add the warm milk about 1 cup at a time, whisking smooth after each addition. Once all the milk is in, cook 6–8 minutes at a gentle bubble, whisking often, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon heavily but still pours in a slow ribbon. Stir in the nutmeg and salt and remove from the heat.
10. In a small bowl, whisk the 3 egg yolks. Whisk in about 1 cup of the hot béchamel in a thin stream to temper them, then scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and whisk hard. Stir in the 1 cup cheese. The béchamel should now be thick, glossy, and just pourable.
11. Pour the béchamel over the meat sauce and spread it level with an offset spatula, sealing it to the edges of the dish. Grate a little extra nutmeg over the top.
12. Bake on the middle rack for 45–55 minutes, until the top is set, puffed at the edges, and deeply golden-brown in patches. If it is pale after 45 minutes, run it under the broiler for 2–3 minutes, watching closely.
13. Rest the pastitsio on a rack for at least 30 minutes — 45 is better. This is not optional: the béchamel needs to firm up so you can cut clean squares. Cut into 8 portions and serve warm.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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